Jinchuuriki Chronicles
by killslay
Summary: AU 7 years ago, the Kages sealed away the Jinchuuriki to assure that they would no longer be used as weapons against one another. Now, they're back and ready to avenge themselves against the villages that betrayed them. brotherly!NaruGaara
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns Naruto and all characters/places associated with the series. I do own the OCs and the characterization of the minor characters. I am making no money by doing this, but if anyone is looking for a writer…

Prologue

It was unfair. He was too young for this. Too young to understand what he was, much less be punished for it. But then, when was life ever fair?

Sarutobi, Third Hokage of Konoha, watched as Uzumaki Naruto raced ahead of him. The six-year-old chattered eagerly for the last few hours of their journey, excited to be seeing the world outside their village for the first time. Everything was new to him and therefore held a kind of mysterious wonder, as it did for many young children. Everyone that they had met on the road smiled at the hyper blond boy and then smiled at him, waiting for the proud beam of a grandfather. They were met with a blank stare that soon looked away and could only catch a glimpse of an abrupt grimace of regret.

_It isn't right._ Sarutobi told himself, as he had for the past few days. _The boy has done nothing wrong. This is madness._

No matter how insane or unfair it was, there was nothing he could possibly do about it. The other Kages had already agreed and to refuse all of them at once was to risk Konoha's very existence. At least now peace between the Hidden Villages could finally be assured. _Yes,_ his conscience whispered condescendingly, _let that be your blood money. Peace for the village and torment for the son of its savior!_

At last they came to a large cliff which overlooked a peaceful valley and a small lake which shone like a mirror in the midday sun. They were the first ones there, judging by the empty boulders that made a small circle in the center of the cliff. Sarutobi wearily sank onto a smooth boulder and took out a small, wrapped package from his robes.

"Naruto, come!" he called to the child, "Time for lunch."

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" The blond boy eagerly raced to the old man and leapt onto the rock beside his. He sat with a child's impatience, furiously swinging his legs as he waited for his lunch.

"Itadakimasu!" Naruto sang as he bit into his onigiri. Sarutobi had no appetite and even the sight of food made him feel sick to his stomach. He bent down his wide-brimmed hat, now grateful for the privacy it provided, and hid his tears from the oblivious boy who ate his lunch without a care in the world.

"Hokage-sama, who're they?" Figures dressed in robes almost identical to his, save for the different coloring and the different characters on their hats were now arriving. With them were silent figures, all with different headbands.

"So," whispered the Raikage, "You came after all. Good. We were worried."

"Hokage-sama?" Naruto asked nervously, "What's going on?"

"That's what we'd all like to know." A lanky ninja grunted, arms crossed in contempt.

There were eight of them in all. They ranged from young children to nearing elderly. All were silent now, even Naruto. They all watched nervously as the Kages began to circle them, knowing that something was wrong but too conditioned to protest.

At last all the Kages were in position around them. Sarutobi only had eyes for Naruto, who stared at him in confusion. Forgive me, his heart whispered as his hands flew in sync with the other Kages to perform the hand seals.

Ox-Dragon-Rat-Dragon-Snake-…

The ground began to glow in a complete circle around the Jinchuuriki. One of them furiously leapt at the ring around them, only to be shot back by an invisible force. Some began to shout, others begged, most just glared in helpless rage at the Kages sealing them. One of them cried. Even as tears streamed down Sarutobi's cheeks and blurred the sight of the sobbing blond boy, his hands and voice remained steady and finally, mercifully, the deed was done.

The Jinchuuriki would be sealed for the remainder of their lives in this rocky prison. Their Biju would die with them and there would remain no reminder of the terrible sacrifices the Hidden Villages had made during the wars so long ago. Soon the Biju themselves would sink into legend and people would forget the brave, tragic children who were sacrificed in an attempt to control them.

Sarutobi turned away regretfully as a single tear traced down his worn cheek.

"Naruto," he whispered as the wind died down around them, leaving the faint echoes of the children screaming behind.

Translations:

itadakimasu: said before eating, could be translated to "time to eat"

-sama: formal way to address those above you

hai: yes

Note: yes, yes, I know that it hasn't been officially proven that Naruto is the Yondaime's son, but as far as fanon is concerned, it works. So, this fic is now open to criticisms of all and any kind, provided there's some thought to the reviews. Thank you and have a nice day!


	2. Chapter 1

Ah yes, just to clarify, the 3 tails is a "complete" demon since it was sealed improperly into someone. So it's not going to be part of Naruto's new "clan." Just FYI. Also, Kishimoto owns Naruto and all the Jinchuuriki that have already appeared in the manga. I own nothing but my computer and this story and all the OCs. Blah, blah, blah. Okay then, on with the fic!

Excerpt from the journal of Tsuchi Rei, container of the Raijuu:

"**I never thought that it would come to this. I know that sealing us in this mountain was meant for 'the greater good' (whatever that is), but I can't help but feel as though I was given a gift disguised in this purgatory. I found my family. They're all precious to me, especially the youngest two: Naruto and Gaara. Both boys are our students and are learning so fast! We've all been considered strong, almost the best out of our villages, but the truth is that we were the weakest. We were alone and fought for no one but ourselves or some misplaced loyalty in our villages. Together, we're more powerful than we ever dreamed we could be. If we ever get out of this hellhole, we'll be a force to be reckoned with so that every Kage will one day cower in fear at the mention of our names."**

Seven years later…

Two boys walked side-by-side on the dirt road. The taller blond boy with strange whisker marks across his cheeks chattered brightly, doing most of the talking while the red-haired boy with his eyes outlined in black and a strange red kanji for "Love" tattooed over his left brow walked along beside him, occasionally nodding absently. Their clothes were nothing short of ragged and barely covered them decently, but neither seemed to notice or care. Their hair was also tangled and matted and they walked barefoot. Strangest of all was their abnormally pale skin which almost glowed in the early autumn sun.

"…and that's why we ought to start big, dattebayo! Rei-sensei should be trying to get powerful daimyos and rich guys to hire us, not send us to this little village to see if they need any help! Gaara?"

"Hn?"

"Were you listening at all?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"No."

"Gaara!"

"Shh!" Gaara's eyes narrowed until only the black rims were visible. Naruto blinked in confusion, then closed his own eyes and tried to concentrate with his chakra. His concentration still wasn't as focused as Gaara's and it took him a while to sense what Gaara had already caught.

"Shinobi." Naruto hissed, now wary.

"Four of them. I think one has a blood-line limit." Gaara confirmed quietly, opening his eyes and grinning with anticipation. Even after seven years, Naruto could never get used to Gaara's strange moods. This didn't look good.

"Gaara," Naruto whispered gently, while grabbing onto his friend's sleeve, "We didn't come here to fight. Rei-sensei warned us that we shouldn't come into contact with any shinobi that might report us to their Kage."

The wild look left Gaara's eyes and he nodded passively. Naruto sighed with relief. Old habits died hard, others never quite left some people. Gaara never really talked about his childhood, but it was obvious that Gaara hadn't come out of his village a wide-eyed innocent the way Naruto had.

"All the same, we should check it out." Gaara said, his eyes darting to the road ahead.

Masking their chakra was easy; moving through a forest silently was not. After spending most of their lives in an underground set of caves, moving through a forest full of rustling leaves and creepers was cumbersome. Leaping from tree to tree, Naruto noted that the forest was getting thicker as the rocky terrain grew softer. They were moving south into Fire country.

"Gaara? You smell that?"

Gaara nodded. Wood smoke and roasting meat. Whoever was traveling wasn't worried about being detected which meant that either they were powerful enough to travel without hiding their presence or they were too stupid to hide their presence. Based on the powerful chakra he felt ahead, Naruto bet on the former.

When the campfire was in sight, they crept among the branches of the tree above a clearing where the cheerful fire was blazing. There were five people, not four. An old woman in heavy robes, and what was evidently her escort. Four shinobi: one jounin, judging from his vest, and the rest were probably genin. Several rabbits were slowly roasting a spit above the fire and let off a tantalizing scent. Naruto's stomach growled furiously and he almost moaned in hunger. Neither of them had eaten for the past two days and it had been years since they had had meat. Gaara shot him a warning look and he nodded unhappily and forced himself to look away from the sizzling meat. This was a recon mission and stealing from shinobi would only draw unwanted attention to themselves.

The genin were young, maybe a year older than him and Gaara, and were armed. All wore bands with the symbol of a curved spiral that arched to the side. The leaf symbol of Konoha. Naruto felt anger begin to boil in his belly. He still remembered bits and pieces of his old village, mostly of the cold stares and children being tugged away from him. Mostly he remembered the old Hokage who seemed the only person that cared for him. He'd even thought that the old man had liked him. But he'd been the one to seal him with the rest of the Jinchuuriki in the Mountain. Naruto swore never to forgive the old man for what he'd done, nor forget how his village had treated him. It was like Musan had once said: Jinchuuriki could never live with or fight beside humans. Jinchuuriki lived alone, fought alone, and died alone. Of course, that was before they'd been sealed together. Now they were family and took care of each other. Gaara was his friend and they belonged together. That was enough.

One of the genin, a girl, began to check on the meat and, seeing that it was ready, slid it off the spit and gave it to the old woman who nodded her thanks. Naruto almost whimpered. It looked so good!

Suddenly, something cold and sharp poked him under his chin. He felt someone's breath at the back of his neck as his left arm was grabbed in a steel grip.

"Who are you?" a cold voice asked, "Why are you spying on us?"

Ooh a cliffie! How evil of me! Points to anyone who can guess WHICH team they've found. Reviews are my friends and I'd appreciate getting new ones. Thank you to everyone who reviewed already!

_**To griffin blackwood: The 3-tails is still around. And yeah, they're going to "meet" it REALLY soon. **_

_**To sasuke-luvs-naruto, MeLaiya, inferno of darkness, IEatChicken, Gomjibar22: Thank you soooo much for the kind reviews. It really helped me continue, knowing people actually WANTED me to write!**_

_**To Random Russian Passer-by: Thank you and yes, it was hard on poor Sarutobi. Too bad Naruto doesn't realize it. And yes, I loved reading about the yonbi and the nibi too. They're going to show up later and I hope I did a good job of characterizing them since I didn't have much reference. Grrr. Kishimoto, why couldn't you have expanded on the rest of the Jinchuuriki instead of making them nameless victims? WHY?**_

_**To PagenGodessOfTime: Read your poem and you have a lot of talent in characterizing Gaara. Keep it up, girl! **_


	3. Chapter 2

Excerpt from the journal of Tsuchi Rei:

"**We've finally done it. We're out. It's strange, you think that you remember something you haven't seen in a long time but when you finally see it, feel it, again you realize that it's nothing like you imagined it. It's so much more vivid and real. That's how it was to feel the sun on our faces when we came out of the Mountain. I saw the light on the faces of my comrades and I saw them as they were rather than what I could only guess in the semi-luminescence of the underground fungi. All of their faces, marked at birth to show our inner demons. I wanted to thank whatever gods had freed us and then remembered that we freed ourselves. Now that it's done, I'm frightened. After living for seven years underground, how can we live above it? Especially the younger ones who barely remember what life was like up here. But they have to learn the hard way, or not at all. I only hope that the years we spent teaching them will help them cope with the outside world, especially shinobi. Gods know I'm casting the dice now and I can only wait to see how They'll react when they discover that we've escaped. After all, nothing remains a secret long when you live in the world of the shinobi."**

Two figures walked silently down Konoha's busy streets. One watched the people pass by them with a strange smirk, pushing back lank black hair from his intense green eyes. The other was staring up at the monument dedicated to the Hokages, thoughtfully biting his lip as he kept his hands tucked in his pockets. They both looked fairly young, maybe in their mid-twenties. The green-eyed one had several kunai tucked in his belt, despite the fact that he wore no band to show which village he belonged to. He also had strange horizontal stripes on either side of his face. The other had a blank headband that only served as a way of keeping his dull green hair out of his face. He also had a curious white oval on his forehead. Both of their clothes were plain and stiff, the colors serving only to keep them inconspicuous. Finally the dark-haired one turned to his companion.

"Too bad the runts couldn't have come. I'm sure Uzumaki would have appreciated it." he remarked, casually pulling out a kunai to clean his nails.

"Naruto has his own mission. This would only bring back bad memories and make him lose sight of his goals. Our former villages mean nothing to us now. We're working to secure our future, not avenge our past." The other replied calmly, flicking his dark eyes over to his companion as if to warn him not to start something.

"You're such a tight-ass!" the green-eyed one goaded, "A little revenge would give him a peace of mind. Besides, he needs to grow up. Hell, even our little tanuki killed before! Uzumaki's doing no one a favor by staying soft."

"Is that what you think he is?"

They both stopped in a deserted side street, now facing each other, black eyes fixed firmly on green. The green-eyed one smirked and pushed his dark, tangled hair out of his face in a careless gesture.

"You coddle them too much, Rei. Not just Uzumaki, all the little guys: Gaara, Nii, Hokubu! We're the Jinchuuriki, the living shells of demons. The sooner they come to terms with that, the sooner they'll fight for us!"

"Musan." Something in the tone of the other made Musan lose his smile. Rei's face was blank, but his hands were now clenched white-knuckled at his sides.

"We are no longer tools. None of us are…for anyone or anything. I hear you speak like this again and I'll tear your voice box out. Are we clear?"

"Crystal." Musan's voice was light, his eyes mere slits in his face. He soon smiled, though, and wrapped a playful arm around Rei's shoulders.

"C'mon, Rei-kun. They're not kids anymore."

"Were they ever? Were _we_ ever kids, Musan?"

Musan was caught off-guard. He studied Rei's bittersweet smile for a moment, then shrugged and let go of Rei to lean comfortably against the worn wall and stare up at the fire escapes above him.

"Dunno. Bastards that raised us never gave us anything close to a childhood."

"Exactly." Rei leaned next to Musan, watching several genin chase after a frantic cat.

Musan scowled after the brats and glanced over at Rei who was still watching the genin shriek with dismay as the cat escaped through a window.

"You're a weird one, Rei."

Rei grinned and, tucking his hands in his pockets once more, strode past Musan.

"That's the popular theory."

Musan smirked and followed him, folding his arms comfortably behind his head.

"Seriously, though," he called to Rei, "What are we doing here? Not to get back at the bastards for your precious kitsune, ne?"

"Hardly. We're just testing the waters."

"Meaning?"

"Getting a good look at our competition."

"Sounds like fun."

Musan sped up a bit to catch up with Rei and began walking in step with his companion. They passed over a bridge and into the more wooded section to Konoha.

Rei and Musan both stopped. There were two jounin blocking their path. One had a shock of grey hair and a mask that covered the lower half of his face. His headband was pulled at an angle so that it covered his left eye, so that the only part of his face that was visible was his dark right eye. The other jounin wore dark glasses and a head band with concealed his hair. Both were deceptively relaxed as they faced the two strangers, but Rei saw the stance of their feet: perfectly ready to spring at a moment's notice.

"There a problem?" Rei asked quietly as Musan tensed beside him. _Please, for the sake of all of us, don't do anything stupid, Musan!_

"Nothing of the sort," The one with the glasses adjusted them stiffly, "We only ask that you tell us what your business is in Konoha."

"Our business is none of yours." Rei replied, "We don't want any trouble. Just let us go on our way."

Rei tried to pass through them and found himself slammed back. He automatically twisted, landing in a crouch in front of them. He realized too late that they were testing him to see if he was hostile and he'd passed with flying colors. Musan whipped out a kunai and threw it at the masked one. Before he could even dodge it, Rei intercepted it with a thrown shuriken.

"Please," he gasped, mostly for Musan's benefit, "We don't want to fight."

Musan glared at him.

"Chicken shit, we can take 'em!" He shouted whipping out another kunai and racing towards the one with the dark glasses.

"Baka." Rei growled under his breath as he began making the necessary hand signs.

"Doton: Doryuu Heki!"

A huge wall made of mud rose between the two jounin and the Jinchuuriki. Rei grabbed Musan by the arm and yank him sharply as they sprinted for the buildings of Konoha's busiest sector. They rushed over the stream, sending ripples briefly over its surface as they leapt.

Soon they reach a good-sized crowd and slowed to melt into the wave of people.

"C'mon," Rei hissed and tugged Musan into a clothes shop.

"You fucking coward." Musan muttered as he followed Rei into the shop. He made the necessary hand signs to cover the two of them with a genjutsu that made them virtually invisible to the bored shopkeeper.

Rei ignored him and picked out a good-sized red robe. He held it out and studied it briefly then nodded and threw it over to Musan.

"Put this on and hurry."

"This is a girl's robe!" Musan protested, "And anyway, a good genjutsu works just as well."

"You don't know who we're fighting," Rei replied, pulling out a dark blue robe and pulling it over his head, "Konoha's famous for its clan, the Uchihas. Their sharingan can see through any genjutsu and predict most ninjutsu and taijutsu. As far as we know, it can't see through clothing."

"You know a lot about this village." Musan commented as he climbed into the bright robe and pulled its hood up.

"You forget that I came from Iwa. Our greatest enemy was Konoha during the Ninja Wars. Every soldier had to be taught about Konoha's strengths…and their weaknesses."

"And said weaknesses include cross-dressing ninjas?" Musan griped as he pulled bleakly at a delicately-embroidered sleeve.

"No, I just thought you should get in touch with your feminine side since you can't seem to control yourself around other men." Rei replied with a straight face as he pulled his hood up as well.

Musan glared at him as Rei slid the door open quietly and made a quick check of the street. He motioned for Musan to follow him and they both walked slowly down the crowded street, keeping their heads down.

"This didn't go well at all." Rei muttered, "Let's just hope the others are having better luck on their missions."

* * *

Talk about bad luck! Naruto tensed, feeling the enemy shinobi's hot breath on the back of his neck, the cold steel pressed against his throat. Then his training kicked in and he reacted.

Naruto slammed his head back, but his attacker dodged the blow and jumped back. Naruto twisted to face the genin and sent a flurry of punches and kicks which his attacker easily dodged and parried.

Growling in frustration, Naruto decided it was time to use his ninjutsu. Forming a single seal with his hands, he snarled, "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" Several identical clones popped into existence as his enemy halted in confusion. Naruto grinned smugly_. Let's see how you like fighting several at once_, he thought gleefully as they all leapt at the shinobi.

Suddenly, the genin twisted in a fast circle and all of the Shadow Clones were "poofed" out of existence as they hit a strange chakra barrier and Naruto was thrown off of the tree and into the clearing. He lay dazed for a moment until a large soft weight smashed on top of him and knocked the wind from him.

"Gaara?" he choked as he felt Gaara shift on top of him in preparation to fight off their attackers.

"Wait!" the old woman protested, rising to her feet, "Do these honestly look like enemies to you?"

"With all due respect, hime-sama," the dark-haired jounin replied, "This is ninja business. Enemies can take many forms and easily deceive their foes."

"Oh, Gai-sensei, you are so wise!" An identically-dressed genin gushed. The jounin grinned widely in response, complete with a cheesy tooth flash and accompanying "ting!"

We're losing to these freaks? Naruto could almost hear Musan laughing in contempt. He scowled and forced his aching body to climb to its feet. There was no way that he was going to lose in his first battle! He didn't even have to look to know that Gaara was standing next to him, hands clenched and ready to use his sand.

"Stop right there!" Naruto felt something sharp digging into his back. Gaara tensed next to him and glared at the girl standing with a short spear placed at Naruto's back.

"If you try anything, he'll die." She informed Gaara.

"I'll kill you before that happens." He promised coldly, reaching out with one arm to direct his chakra-imbued sand. The girl was quick, though, and dodged the sand arm easily. The four shinobi were now grouped in front of their client, all of them in position. Gaara and Naruto tensed, waiting for them to make the first move.

_This isn't good_, Naruto thought, _we're outnumbered four to two._ _And they probably know this place better than we do._ Why hadn't they listened to Rei-sensei and stayed out of trouble?

"Who are you?" the jounin asked sharply, "Why did you come to attack us?"

This was too much for Naruto.

"Attack you? **You're** the ones who started this!" he shouted angrily, "If anything, we should be the ones yelling at you, dattebayo!"

Gaara rolled his eyes heavenwards. Trust Naruto to have a flair for dramatics!

"You were spying on us." The long-haired genin with pale eyes replied coldly, "If you value your lives, you will cooperate or be defeated."

"C'mon then!" Naruto challenged, making the seal for his jutsu again, "Let's do this!"

"Are you boys hungry?"

The old woman now stood and held out her roast rabbit. She smiled benignly as their eyes widened at the treat.

"I'm sure we can talk a bit over dinner, what do you say?"

* * *

"Alright! I'm starving!" the boy sang.

"I'll have two orders of the soba noodles, three orders of vegetable tempura, um, ten pork dumplings and ten beef dumplings, and uh how's about some rice and tea to wash it all down? Oh yeah, this comes to how much?"

"Um…" the flustered waiter looked down at the notes he'd hastily jotted down, "About 890 ryo."

"Let's make it an even 900. What do you want, Yugito-chan?" The boy with the long brown hair and strange brown marks over his eyes extending to his chin smiled over at the scowling blonde sitting across from him in the small-town restaurant. Her hair was wrapped in a braid and her large, slanted eyes determinedly avoided his.

"Do they have any pickled radishes?"

"And some pickled radishes."

"I was kidding."

"Okay, cancel that! C'mon, how's about some fried eggs on steak? She'll have fried eggs on steak!"

Yugito Nii, container of the Nibi no Nekomata and eldest of the "runts" of the Jinchuuriki, scowled at Kudo Hokubo from the across the polished wooden table, and considered ramming her chopsticks down his annoying throat. She then dismissed the idea when she remembered that she would have to be the one to pay the bill. And besides, someone needed to be the bait for this mission! She fiddled with the milk-white beads that were coiled around her right arm. She could've been with Rei-sensei or Tohru-jiji, or hell even "Mistress Sword" would have been better than this jerk!

"Yugito-chaaan!" Kudo leaned across the table and stuck his face directly in front of hers, "What are you dreaming about?"

_Eviscerating you!_ "Nothing." She replied in a monotone.

"Are you thinking about how cute I am? You don't have to hold back! We are on a date, sort of."

No, evisceration was far too quick. She'd start with those fingers of his, rip off the nails and dip them one by one in acid. Then she'd get started on his face…

"Ah, finally!" Kudo shouted as trays of steaming food were put in front of him, "Itadakimasu!"

Yugito just stared in disbelief at the greasy egg-topped steak set in front of her. The sight of it made her feel sick. Years of living off of fish, fungi, and whatever else they could find had shrunken her stomach, but it only seemed to increase Kudo's appetite.

"Mmph? Yugito-chan?" Kudo mumbled through a mouthful of soba, "Aren't you hungry?"

"I don't like meat." She gritted out, trying to shut out the invasive smell of egg and sauce.

"Oh, sorry." Kudo had the sense to look abashed, "You should have told me."

"Just eat it for me and give me some of that rice!"

She slid her chopsticks into the rice and shoved some hastily into her mouth. Warm, soft rice. How could she have forgotten what it tasted like?

"Psst, Yugito. Ten o'clock!"

She glanced briefly at the table to their left which was now occupied by two well-dressed men. One of them looked nervous, the other smug.

"You've got to be kidding me," she whispered scornfully, "Mobsters?"

"You see anyone else? I'm telling you, I smell some quick ryo."

"Shallow ponds always dry up. We should be looking for something a little more profitable, and less dirty."

"We can't afford to be choosy," he replied gloomily, "This dinner brings us down to a hundred ryo. That'll be enough for a place to sleep, maybe."

Yugito grimaced and took a sip of the hot tea. Yes they had to start out small, they were inexperienced after all. But to work for thugs and petty crooks? It was so…degrading.

"Fine. You want to be the pitcher?" she muttered.

"No need," he replied cheerfully, "They've decided to come to us!"

Yugito suddenly felt a hand fall onto her shoulder as an oily voice said,

"My, a cute little lady like you should really be with better company."

_I'm going to kill him,_ Yugito swore, _but first I'll have him settle the bill._

* * *

"You want me to pay for _that_?"

Tezema Setsu just glared at the indignant old man from behind her pink lenses. It was the only part of her that was bright or colorful. From her short-cropped pale blonde hair to her plain black uniform, she didn't cut a very impressive figure. Save for the katana strapped to her back and her pink-tinted shades, nothing made her particularly stand out. It was only when people came close to her that they noticed her flattened nose and yellow eyes.

"I spent over seven years in a dark cave with no one but idiots and brats for company," she snapped back, pushing the frame of her glasses higher up the bridge of her nose, "I'm entitled to a few luxuries!"

"More useless crap for that blade of yours?" Tohru snorted, "Don't make me laugh!"

Gaidoku Tohru was the eldest of the Jinchuuriki. And probably the most powerful, although it had never come to a point where he'd been forced to prove it against one of his kind. He preferred to keep to himself, a fact that every one of the Jinchuuriki knew. So why that brat of a weasel felt he had the authority to pair him with this female…

Setsu just smirked over her pink shades and walked past him confidently.

"I couldn't care less what you think of them, ouyaji. It's already been paid for, so piss off."

Tohru scowled after her. His hair had already turned white with age and was tied loosely back with a leather thong. His clothes were loose and light. The only distinguishable thing about him was the dark patch across the bridge of his nose and across his cheeks.

"We've already spent enough, Mistress Sword. Your sword's survived seven years in the damp; it's not going to shatter because you haven't polished it enough."

"So? Kei-kun is getting restless and I think I'll soon have use for him once more. It doesn't pay to leave a good sword to rust."

Tohru just sighed and rolled his eyes as he followed the middle-aged kunoichi. Years of living and fighting alone had made him unprepared for spending seven years in close quarters with other people. Yet he grew used to them after a while and even fond of a few of them, although he'd sooner rip his arms off than admit it aloud. But, now what? Where was he to go? He'd briefly considered leaving them and making his way out on his own but no, the weasel had needed him. There was no way that young pup would be able to hold these people together and get around the shinobi. So he'd stayed, for better or for worse. Only now, he was beginning to reconsider his decision.

"Oy!" he called, "And who exactly do you intend to use the sword on?"

"Dunno," she replied, "You volunteering, ouyaji?"

_Women_, he thought with disgust as he caught up with her, _there's just no living with them_.

Suddenly, Setsu leaned her head against his shoulder. Flustered, he tried to push her away only to have his wrist grabbed and positioned on her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" he hissed.

"Don't look, but someone's following us." She murmured quietly.

Tohru stiffened, but then purposefully relaxed so that he was tucked closer to Setsu, making them look more like an intimate couple.

"You're sure?" he asked softly.

"I don't wear these glasses just as a fashion accessory, you know."

"Our tracker?"

"Young, round glasses, wearing a cloak. I think it's male."

"Hn. We'd better take this somewhere private."

"Let's go."

Well, there were a few perks that came with working side-by-side with a partner. He'd tear his tongue out before admitting it out loud, of course.

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Wow. I'm pretty overwhelmed. Anyhoo, pretty much all of the Jinchuuriki have been introduced. Sorry if some were longer than others, but I was a little rushed on this chapter since I'm leaving on vacation pretty soon. Tell me what you think, please!

_**Congratulations to IEatChicken and xX-Silver-and-cold-Xx, you guessed it! Originally your prizes would have been cute plushies of your favorite Naruto characters, but I'm broke! Sorry about that, but thank you for the reviews and I'll try to update soon!**_

_**Sorry PagenGodessOfTime, but a good guess anyways. Glad you liked the new chappie!**_

_**To griffin blackwood, imsooobored, The Three Stoogies, Graceful Storyteller: Thank you guys SO much for reviewing! It really powers me up! **_

_**Coheed 16 the man in the diary: I really don't want to go overboard with giving Naruto too much new power. He has received more intense training partially due to being stuck with the same people and having literally nothing to do but train, but his power and stamina are still the same, as is his intelligence (ha! ha!). **_

_**moasan: yeah, I'm evil! I just looove cliffies! Thanks for reviewing! **_


	4. Interlude 1

_**Okay, not to confuse anyone. This is strictly a drabble in the "Jinchuuriki Chronicles" universe. It's a bit of backstory and a (lame) explanation for Naruto's ability to know the Kage Bunshin in the AU. And here it is:**_

Musan was deep in meditation. His breathing was deep and even as he extended his chakra out and around. The rocky walls faded from his sight as he "saw" outside their dark prison for a brief time and almost felt the warm sun on his skin…

Then something bright and flashy jumped at the corner of his eye and he lost the vision and sank back into the dank darkness of the prison around him. He scowled fiercely at the young boy who dared disturb him. Uzumaki Naruto. That little…

"Neh, Musan-san?" the boy asked shyly.

"Get the fuck away from me, brat!" Musan snapped, climbing to his feet. Hell if he was going to spend the next five minutes with that annoying brat!

"But…" Naruto started, "Rei-sensei told me to train with you today!"

The fuck? He was _not_ getting stuck with babysitting duty!

"I don't give a shit what he said, don't bother me!"

"If you don't, I'll tell him who gave Setsu-bachan that nightmare!"

Huh. So the brat wasn't as innocent as he looked. This could be interesting…

"So, you wanna learn a new jutsu?" Musan asked sweetly. The boy's face lit up and Musan could barely stifle a chuckle. That bastard Rei was going to taste what annoying felt like! No one ordered Rokujou Musan around!

"One time during the war with Konoha, I learned this jutsu from a captured shinobi after a little 'persuasion.' It goes like this…"

**--------**

--------

"Catch me if you can!" Twelve copies of Naruto sang out en masse as they raced around the cave. Tohru irritably sent a few fire jutsus their way which made several "poof" out existence but still left the rest to race around yelling at the top of their lungs.

Rei swore under his breath as one clone gleefully stole his signature headband and tossed it to the rest, starting an insane game of keep away.

Musan just smirked as he watched the chaos enfold. Uzumaki certainly had a lot of talent under that brainless exterior: he'd mastered a high-level jutsu in only two weeks. It was going to be interesting to see what else he could make the blond idiot do for him…


	5. Chapter 3

_"Our missions are very simple: stake__ out the territory and see how things have changed since we were sealed away.__ Musan and I will __go observe__ Konoha, which was the strongest of all the Hidden Villages before we were sealed. Setsu and Tohru will go to Iwa, which was__, and may still be,__ Konoha's strongest rival__. Gaara and Naruto are to travel to the countries of Grass and Rain. If they find nothing there, they might venture__ to the Land of Wind, but it's probably better that they don't__. Gaara has gained some self-control under my and the others' teaching, but I don't trust him with members of his former village. If worst comes to worst, Naruto will restrain him. Yugito and Kudo will travel to the Land of Water__, looking mostly for prospective jobs__. Kudo will have the best advantage there since his skill is water. I only hope Yugito keeps a hold on that temper of hers.__ Reconvene in two months at our Headquarters and decide what to do. __If o__ne of the teams gets compromised…__we'll deal with that when we get there.__"_

Setsu and Tohru both stopped. Setsu lifted her head as Tohru edged his hand toward his belt. They were in an abandoned clearing. The perfect place for an ambush…

"That's far enough." Setsu stated and jumped back at the stranger, kunai already in her hands, and slashed at their stalker. He barely managed to dodge the kunai, and it sliced part of his cloak. He was, as Setsu expected, a boy, maybe in his mid-twenties. He wore large round glasses and had silvery hair. He was also a shinobi of the Sound, judging from his headband.

He was also very talented: he skillfully dodged her second blow and attempted to use it to his advantage as he concentrated some chakra in his hand and struck at her chest.

Setsu twisted to avoid the boy's blow and pulled Kei-kun out in one smooth motion. His sanded grip was as comfortable and reassuring as a lover's. He shone brightly in the late afternoon sun, beautiful as ever. A curved, snake-like smile touched her lips, all venom and fangs.

"It's been a while since I've had the chance to fight with my dearest friend." She snarled, swinging Kei to rest in front of her while pulling her other arm back.

The shinobi looked startled.

"Have we met before?" he asked confused.

"She's talking about the sword." Tohru grunted, glaring at her disapprovingly, "Don't go overboard. We still need to question him."

"You don't have to tell me twice!"

She leapt at the shinobi, letting Kei whistle through the air like a falcon. He twisted aside, the blade barely brushing past his face. He smirked, until a line of blood appeared under his eye.

"W-what?" then he glared as he realized, "Chakra extensions."

"Smart boy," Setsu taunted as she danced to the side, trying to throw him off, "Now tell me why you felt the need to follow us."

"You're not from any village, judging from the fact that neither of you wear headbands." The boy ignored her request and stayed at a safe distance, "But you've been trained in the arts of the shinobi, if I'm any judge. Missing-nin usually use their former headbands with the symbol crossed out. However, missing-nin also rarely keep together in a group. Partners tend to keep together, but…"

"Keep talking," Setsu snarled as she slashed at him, "Maybe you'll live longer."

"But then, why are you so wary around villages? If you're not mercenaries, not exactly missing-nin, then…"

His eyes suddenly widened. The earth beneath him was slowly melting into mud, trapping him at the ankles and then solidifying. He could only look up in horror as Setsu raced toward him, Kei held out to cut him. Then he smiled. Setsu blinked in confusion as she slashed next to his chest, a blow that she hoped would knock him out for long enough to capture and question him. It seemed to work as the boy gave a gasp of pain and slumped as far as the imprisoning mud would allow him. Setsu frowned and then gasped as the figure suddenly "poofed" into a log. The replacement technique! Damnit!

"Excuse my rudeness," came a voice from her right. She whirled to face him, but he managed to catch her across the chest with his chakra. Her chest constricted and she fell to her knees gasping for breath.

"Setsu!" Tohru shouted. He quickly drew his bag shut and raced to her side to intercept another blow which the boy aimed at her. They grappled for a moment, and Tohru was barely able to keep him off before the shinobi managed to break away.

"Don't worry about me," gasped Setsu, "he's-"

Too late! The shinobi was already sprinting for the cliffs.

"Damnit." Tohru ignored her colorful curses and calmly removed a small roll of bandages from his belt.

"Calm down. We still have time and we definitely know where he's headed."

"Hell we do! For all we know he could be getting his team to – ow!" Setsu winced as Tohru gently felt her ribs.

"You're lucky he just broke your ribs," Tohru informed her sternly, "Are you a rookie genin that you would take such a risk?"

Setsu scowled and turned away as he began to unroll the bandage.

"Besides," Tohru continued, "It's not like this was a total loss. While you were distracting him, I took the liberty of placing a tracer on him that only corresponds to my techniques."

"You mean…?" Setsu guessed, starting to grin despite her injury.

Tohru nodded.

"Looks like we're going to have to check out the Land of Sound, I don't like what I see."

"What're you talking about, ouyaji?"

"I managed to get this off of him in our little skirmish," Tohru showed her a small scroll.

Setsu blinked at the seal. It was sealed by…

"But that's-"

"Konoha's symbol." Tohru finished.

* * *

-----000000000-----

"We're actually headed to the Land of Water, so this job is a little out of our way…"

"Nonsense! I'll be sure to reimburse you for your…services."

Yugito inwardly fumed as their prospective employer continued to invade her personal space as they talked. She had no idea how dirty some words could sound with the right delivery. Even if they did need money, there was no need to stoop this _low_!

"Believe me," the man continued as he leaned closer to Yugito, "You'll thank me one day for handing you this _opportunity_."

His hand had not just landed on her…! That did it!

-------------------------------------------------

Yugito huffed as she caught her breath, her hands still placed in the "ox" sign. Kudo stood beside her, staring blankly at the unconscious man at her feet. All of the occupants of the restaurant avoided their gaze and pretended to be intent in whatever they were doing.

"Did you have to be so flashy?" Kudo asked painfully.

"The man was feeling me up." Yugito replied coldly, relaxing her arms and pulling back her seat.

"We could've gotten the job!" whined Kudo, "Sure it wasn't exactly what we were looking for, but it could've paid for a future meal or two!"

"I don't care," Yugito gritted out, "I won't be treated like a whore by anyone, especially an employer!"

"Excuse me," Both turned to face a short, wild-haired man with a thin moustache, "I couldn't help but notice how admirably the girl fights. If either of you are interested, I am looking for strong fighters as bodyguards."

"Really, how well do you pay?" Kudo asked eagerly.

"And what is your name?" Yugito asked pointedly.

"Oh me?" the man asked coyly, "You can call me Gatou."

-----000000000-----

_**I live! So sorry for the long delay, but in addition to my "lovely" family vacation, I have packing for college to do so I was a tad swamped this week! Thankfully, I was able to finish this chapter. FYI, the story will now **__**be**__** split in POVs of two "teams" on their missions.**_

_**To icegoddess5, **__**littlesis666, **__**Milisant**____** fmalover478, **__**WolfChibi**__**-Chan, cooltony101neo, **__**DurielZamoran**__**: Thank you all so much for your kind reviews! They really remind me to get that butt in my chair and keep writing!**_

_**To BOBBY: You can forget about using my **__**computer EVER AGAIN!!!!**_


	6. Interlude 2

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay. College really sucks the life out of your free time, so I haven't had much time to write. Sorry to piss anyone off ****who's**** been eager for the next part of the story, but I had the idea for more "back story" about the Jinchuuriki family during their seven-year stay in the mountain. During one of my periods, I thought how much worse someone without any "normal" female role-models would have their first period. So poor Yugito has to suffer! Ku-****ku****-****ku**

Yugito felt icky that afternoon for some reason and wasn't hungry during dinner, even for the octopus that Kudo had proudly shared with the rest of their family. She ate a bit of the rubbery meat so Rei-sensei wouldn't scold her, but felt sick. She was also very irritable and snapped more than once at the younger ones, especially Naruto. She went to bed completely miserable and confused, curling up and trying to sleep as soon as possible.

She woke up a few hours later, disoriented. She felt wetness seep from her bottom and felt a flush rising up her cheeks. How babyish was she, wetting her bed like that? Shame rose up from her chest into her throat and tears were squeezed from her eyes. She pushed her blankets aside and undid her belt. Then stared… She looked away and tried to breathe evenly. Oh. Dear. Gods.

Suddenly Gaara was above her, staring down at her curiously.

"What's wrong?" he asked calmly.

"I'm bleeding." She replied, trying to clamp down on the tears still threatening to rise. Damned if she was going to cry in front of a boy, especially Gaara!

"Where?"

"From my…parts."

"What?" Now he looked a little confused.

Yugito, flushing furiously, pointed to where her legs met. Gaara's eyes widened slightly and he peered down to look closer. Yugito furiously shoved him away.

"Pervert!" she screamed, jumping to her feet.

"Wha's goin' on?" Kudo rubbed his eyes and sat up sleepily, "Did Musan try _it_ again?"

"No!" Yugito snapped, "Go back to sleep!"

"Yugito's bleeding from her vagina." Gaara said neutrally.

"Whoa, really? Can I see?" Kudo asked eagerly.

"See what?" Now Naruto was awake, too?

"Will you brats keep it down? Some of us are trying to sleep!" Setsu had unsheathed her sword and looked murderous.

"Yugito's wounded." Gaara replied.

"What? Never mind. It's Tsuchi's job to look after you brats! Oy, Tsuchi! One of the brats is hurt!"

Rei-sensei came quickly, though Yugito saw he wasn't happy about being woken so late.

"Yugito? Where does it hurt?" he asked soothingly, as though she were a baby.

"It doesn't hurt! That's the problem. I'm bleeding and it doesn't hurt! What's wrong with me?" she asked, now beginning to sob despite her earlier promise.

"Bleeding from where?" Setsu asked sharply, sheathing her sword in one clean motion.

Blushing once more, Yugito pointed to more or less the same place. Setsu looked at her weirdly for a moment and then laughed. Yugito felt the flush rising to her ears. Oh yes, it was all very well that she looked stupid, crying like that, but she was _bleeding_!

Finally Setsu got a hold of herself and crouched in front of Yugito and looked almost amused.

"Girl, hasn't anyone told you of the monthly cycles?"

The what? Yugito must have looked as confused as she felt because Setsu took her hand in a surprisingly gentle grip and led her away from the children's sleeping area. They came to the pool that they normally used to bathe and Setsu had Yugito wash her bloody clothes and blanket as she prepared a diaper-like underwear. Yugito began to protest, but Setsu insisted and tied it firmly around her waist and between her legs.

Setsu then spent the next ten minutes telling her about the women's monthlies and what they were for. Yugito began to blush fiercer than ever as Setsu even began to talk casually about sex and what **it** had to do with her monthlies.

"…so it's nothing dangerous. It's just something to deal with every month or so. You'll get used to it."

"But, won't the…thing get soaked through after a few hours?" Yugito asked awkwardly.

"Yes, you'll have to change and wash it, just as you would a baby's rag."

"That's disgusting!"

"So is life, girl. So is life."

Yugito just huffed under her breath and sat shivering, waiting for her clothes to dry. Setsu suddenly put a thin, tough arm around her shoulders. Yugito unconsciously leaned into the warmth and watched ripples travel across the pool from her sodden clothes dripping into it.

"Hey, Setsu-san?"

"Hmm?" Setsu replied; either ignoring or not noticing the familiar way Yugito had addressed her.

"Thanks."

Setsu just rolled her eyes and gave Yugito a light shove. Yugito smiled and wrapped her arms about her knees.

_It's so confusing down here, with everyone like this. I'm just glad that…__everyone seems to be as uncertain as I am. It means I'm not alone._


	7. Chapter 4

2nd entry of the journal of Tsuchi, Rei

_**"Naruto's our youngest, both physically and mentally. Honestly, he's one of the most endearingly idiotic, naïve, and **__**annoying shinobi I've ever met. He's only a few months younger than Gaara, and yet acts almost half Gaara's age. He's nothing like any of us. Gaara and Musan are complete psychopaths, the old one barely talks, Kudo talk**__**s**__** too much, but he's just hiding under all that bravado, Yugito is **__**a rebellious brat, and Setsu…**__**she's beyond crazy. I know I'm not all that different.**__** I'm an asocial careless bastard that can barely keep sane among these psycho-cases. Gods, the Kages really were sadists. This goes under cruel and unusual."**_

"Those boys certainly came a long way."

"What makes you say that, Gai-sensei?"

"Look at the state of their clothes and feet. They must have walked until their shoes and clothes wore out. Now that takes guts!"

"But what would make such young boys do such a thing?"

"I think that they're older than they look."

"But they're so small-"

"Believe me, they must be at least 11. I have grandchildren, you know."

"Then…"

"The only way for humans to stay that small is to be starved over the course of years."

A short silence.

"Oh!"

"Poor things. I believe that they ran off from an abusive home."

"But it must have been a shinobi who taught them. I've never seen those kinds of techniques outside of the Hidden Villages."

"Some villages are harsher on their children to make them stronger. I've heard that the Village of the Bears sends its children alone into the mountains for months to prove that they're strong enough to become shinobi."

"How awful!"

Gaara listened with a half an ear on the hushed conversation. _Humans are certainly stupid_, he decided, _they talk and talk about things which don't concern them. _He kept his eyes shut and his breathing shallow and even. He sat leaning against the trunk of a tree with Naruto's head pillowed in his lap. Naruto lay sprawled out as usual, taking up as much space as humanly possible while he slept. Gaara kept one hand placed on Naruto's head as he always did to keep away nightmares. This was the only time when Gaara felt close to happy. Whatever "happy" was, he only ever felt something like it when he was with Naruto.

"But what to do with them? We can't leave them on their own: who knows what kind of trouble they may get into!"

"Ruri-hime, this is your decision as you are our client."

"I thought this was shinobi business, Might-san. But I can't just leave these two alone. The younger one didn't even know what to do with their money."

"It's doubtful that they were telling the truth about being kicked out from their old home. Shinobi don't just let their subordinates go like that. They may be missing-nin. This could bring more trouble onto us, hime-sama."

"I appreciate your concern, Hyuuga-san. However, it is not much further to my village. They can stay with me for a while until they get find their feet. I really don't mind."

"They could be trouble, though. I don't like this. With all due respect, hime-sama."

"You just don't like them, Neji!"

"Ten-Ten…"

"She's telling the truth, Neji! You don't appreciate their youthful spirits!"

"Keep out of this, Lee!"

"Now, now my passionate and hip young students! Don't let this disagreement break your joyful team bonds!"

"What 'joyful' team bonds?" Gaara heard the one called Hyuuga Neji mutter resentfully. Out of all of this team from Konoha, Neji was the one that truly brushed him and Naruto the wrong way. Maybe it was his condescension toward Naruto's declaration of the two of them becoming powerful ninja. Maybe it was just his cold and arrogant manner. Whatever it was, Gaara decided that Neji wasn't worth keeping around for much longer.

The woman, Ruri whatever, had talked about taking them in. Well, that might be useful. It was only after their meal and the talking that went with it that Gaara realized how unprepared he and Naruto were: the state of their clothes, their lack of shoes, and their general ignorance would only draw unwanted attention.

"So we're agreed. The boys will come with me as my guests."

Guests? Gaara smiled quietly to himself as the firelight flickered over his darkened eyelids. Old hag, you have no idea.

* * *

A chuunin wandered out of the Records Room, yawning and stretching from hours of repetitive, mind-numbing work. Right now, he was ready to head off to the Dango Shop and maybe get a small cup of tea as well. He didn't notice the figure crouched on the roof directly above him. As soon as he left, Musan crawled into the room, still using chakra to hold his arms and legs onto the roof and jumped down. A quick genjutsu and the same chuunin stood there. Musan stared at the endless shelves of scrolls that awaited him and grimaced.

"Work, work, work." he muttered gloomily as he pulled a promising scroll from the nearest shelf, "That's all I'm good for around here!"

-----

Rei heard them behind him. He was sprinting over the roofs of Konoha, making sure that they stayed on to him.

_I just hope Musan manages to the get the information we need_, he thought,_then__ we can get out of here!_

"Katsu!" Several explosions were left in his wake, leaving his pursuers in the confusion as he ducked into an open window and sprinted through the empty room and down the stairs.

"Pardon the intrusion," he muttered ironically as he swung over the banister and landed lightly on his feet in a neat sitting room. An old woman sat in a small chair and was darning what looked like a lopsided sock.

"Eh? Is that you, Matsu-chan?"

"Erm…"

Rei quietly tip-toed out of the room while the old biddy blinked about in confusion. Thank goodness the only occupant here was blind and mostly deaf!

He raced out of the door and began striding towards the edges of the town. Musan needed all the time he could to copy those records, so it was probably best to draw their enemies out and away from the village center.

"Halt!"

Rei stiffened as he felt the kunai dig into his back. He turned and silently cursed as he saw the shinobi with the dark glasses from before.

"You people never give up, do you?" He muttered.

"Indeed not." The stiff shinobi replied, "You have no idea whom you are up against! This Ebisu is one of the finest shinobi to grace this village!"

"'Finest', huh?" Rei swung and pivoted on his leg. Their kunai clashed briefly as they broke away and leapt for opposite ends of the field.

"Let's go." Rei hissed as he lunged for the shinobi. The Konoha-nin smirked and did the same.

* * *

_**Eeeeh**__**! I'm sorry it took so long! Finals were a **__**bitcah**__** and on top of that my # dorm sprung a leak and messed up my computer! Well, I'm back. Sorry if this chapter isn't that long but it'll get better soon, I promise! **_

DOKIDOKIpanic: Yeah, sorry about the formatting. I'm kind of new to formatting stories for FF . net. Glad you like it though.

uh...: I'm working on the formatting after I finish outlining the plot.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I wish you all a Merry Christmas, a belated Happy Hannukah, an early Kwanzaa, and a very early Happy New Year (whenever that is for your individual religious/cultural denomination.)


	8. Profiles of Jinchuuriki

A/N: Sorry, I should have put this up earlier. These are the profiles of the Jinchuuriki in "Jinchuuriki Chronicles."

Jinchuuriki

1 tail: Shukaku

Name: Gaara

tanuki (raccoon/panda)

Distinguishing mark: dark circles around eyes and red tattoo of the kanji "love" over his left brow.

Age: 6 when imprisoned, currently 13

Former village: Sunagakure (Sand Village)

Sullen and resentful.

Least control of demon.

Very protective of Naruto

Smallest.

Ninjutsu specialty: sand

2222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222

2 tails: Nekomata

Name: Nii, Yugito

neko (cat)

Distinguishing mark: large and slanted eyes.

Age: 10 when imprisoned, currently 17

Former village: Kumogakure (Cloud Village)

Best connection to demon.

Quick to understand.

Very outspoken and rebellious.

Prayer beads worn on right arm control her demon, takes them off if she wants to release it.

Nicknamed "Nibi no neechan" by Naruto and "Neko Miko" by Musan.

Element affinity: fire

3333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333

3 tails: Isonade

monster turtle, not part of tribe

Age: unknown

Origin: unknown

Does not have a Jinchuuriki host

"Full" Demon as far as anyone's concerned

444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444

4 tails: Sokou

Name: Gaidoku, Tohru

hachuu (lizard)

Distinguishing mark: dark patch across bridge of nose and cheeks.

Age: 57 when imprisoned, currently 64

Former village: Amegakure (Rain Village)

Wise and cynical.

Most advanced abilities as well as eldest of group.

Prefers to be on his own and dislikes it when Rei assigns him to a partner (aka Setsu).

Nicknamed "ouyaji" by the younger ones to his chagrin.

Special ability to merge elements.

55555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555

5 tails: Houkou

Name: Rokujou, Musan

inu (dog)

Distinguishing mark: dark horizontal stripes on the sides of his face.

Age: 19 when imprisoned, currently 26

Former village: Kusagakure (Grass Village)

Bitter and sullen.

Very quick to anger.

Enjoys hurting people.

Fond of the rest in his own way, but has very sick ways of showing it.

Specialty: genjutsu.

66666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666

6 tails: Raijuu

Tsuchi, Rei

itachi (weasel)

Distinguishing mark: pale oval on forehead.

Age: 17 when imprisoned, currently 24

Former village: Iwagakure (Stone Village)

Thoughtful but brash.

Leader of group by default.

Has the idea to form mercenary group with Jinchuuriki.

Puts on appearance of confidence, but is very self-doubting.

Very protective of the younger ones, particularly Naruto.

Nicknamed "Mother Hen" by Musan and "Pup" by Tohru.

Element affinity: earth

77777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777

7 tails: Kaku

Hokubu, Kudo

mujina (badger)

Distinguishing mark: dark vertical lines over his eyes to his chin.

Age: 8 when imprisoned, currently 15

Former village: Takigakure (Waterfall Village)

Huge appetite for both women and food.

Has a huge crush on Yugito but plays it up as a shallow crush.

Rarely takes anything but food and money seriously.

Element affinity: water

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

8 tails: Hachimata

Tezema, Setsu

hebi (snake)

Distinguishing mark: flat nose and yellow eyes.

Age: 36 when imprisoned, currently 43

Former village: Kirigakure (Mist Village)

Anti-social and easy to provoke.

Best weapon: sword.

Has a katana she names "Kei" that she uses with chakra extensions.

Violent temper when provoked (see above).

Rather sarcastic but serious when she means to be.

Best at taijutsu out of all Jinchuuriki.

Nicknamed "Mistress Sword" by Rei.

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

9 tails: Kyuubi

Uzumaki, Naruto

kitsune (fox)

Distinguishing mark: whisker marks across his cheeks.

Age: 6 when imprisoned, currently 13

Former village: Konohagakure (Leaf Village)

Energetic and playful.

Not aware of demon until imprisoned.

Youngest both in mind and body of the Jinchuuriki.

Element affinity: wind.


	9. Chapter 5

_"The snake woman performed a minor miracle today. Gaara, the young insomniac from Suna, was being beaten harshly by her when the_ kistune_, Naruto, stepped in. The poor boy received harsh blows for defending the_ tanuki_ from the swordswoman's wrath, but Gaara afterward refused to leave his side. The two are now inseparable. I guess the __Tsuchikage__ was wrong when he told me that Jinchuuriki are incapable of forming bonds with others. Or perhaps, we are incapable of forming bonds with humans." –Tsuchi, Rei. _

Naruto woke up slowly. He was lying on something soft and firm. He was also unusually warm and he didn't hear Gaara's even breaths which meant that he hadn't slept on Gaara's lap. He sat up and looked around the dark room in confusion. He was on a futon, which explained why he'd slept so well, in a plain but comfortable room.

Oh yeah, they were staying with Ruri-hime at her grandchildren's house. That explained why they were inside. Wait, where was Gaara?

He pushed the blankets aside and stuck his tongue out when he saw that his clothes were nowhere in sight. Instead, there was a plain white shirt with some dark pants folded neatly next to his bed. They looked clean and comfortable, but Naruto didn't want to ruin them. After all, he and Gaara were going to do a lot of fighting and traveling, and nice clothes would only get ruined. On the other hand, there wasn't anything else to wear, so Naruto slipped them on and made a mental note to ask Ruri-hime or one of her servants where his old clothes were.

He found Gaara outside next to the lake, kneeling quietly with eyes closed. Sand from the beach was rising in front of him and twisting into amorphous shapes.

"Hey Gaara!" Naruto called, "Why'd you leave without waking me?"

The sand collapsed back onto the shore and Gaara opened his eyes irritably.

"Because I wanted time to myself to meditate." he replied crossly, "You're far too loud."

"Don't be like that!" Naruto protested, grinning eagerly, "Why don't we spar?"

Gaara smiled back, sensing Naruto's energy. The sand behind him rose and began to writhe around him, forming his ultimate defense.

"Alright, but don't expect me to go easy on you." Gaara informed him.

"Heh, I was just about to say that!" Naruto declared boldly, crouching in a defensive stance before sprinting toward his friend, "Here I come!"

* * *

Rock Lee woke early out of habit. Gai-sensei had drilled into him that Youth must always be alert and ready. Therefore, not a single hour must be wasted in training a shinobi's body and mind. Unfortunately, Gai-sensei was currently busy with Ruri-hime's accounts and a certain trouble in the village. But Lee wasn't dissuaded. Nothing beat a good early workout. He'd attempted to get Ten Ten or Neji to practice with him, but Ten Ten had just yelled at him to let her sleep and Neji…was off on his own, as usual. Lee decided he'd just do 1200 pushups as a warm up and then 2000 kicks followed by 1800 punches… Yes, that would do for a start, but it wasn't quite the same as a good spar. He had yet to beat Neji which was one of his many goals in order to achieve the Full Flower of his Youth. 

Unfortunately, Ruri-hime didn't have a practice yard, but Lee figured that the lakeshore would work just as well. Lee raced towards the mist-covered shore and made a mental note to also run at least 10 miles after his workout. Unfortunately, as soon as he got to the shore, he saw that it was already occupied by shinobi who'd had similar ideas.

The two strangers, Naruto and - Gaara was it? - were facing off. Naruto had done that impressive piece of ninjutsu where he made clones of himself (Shadow Clones no less!) and was dodging Gaara's sand while trying to break through the barrier the other had placed around him. Even without the ninjutsu, though, their moves were quick and powerful.

Gaara used his sand as his basic defense as well as his long-range attacks, forming huge fists of sand that attempted to pummel his opponent. Naruto, however, was adept at dodging the sand as well as racing around the swirling sand that surrounded Gaara. Right now the clones were organized in a standard attack position with several going forward and distracting the sand while others slammed themselves against the sand walls. At first, Lee was a bit confused but then he saw another clone - no that was the real Naruto! - manage to slip through a gap in the sand and land a sharp blow on the back of Gaara's head. The red-haired boy jerked forward, probably more surprised than hurt, and made a sign that had an arm made of sand grab Naruto by the waist and fling him out of the walls. Naruto, however, had planned on that and a Shadow Clone caught him a few feet from the wall and threw him back in. This time Gaara was ready and several arms of sand blocked him from Naruto's attack. Naruto had also planned on this and promptly created another Shadow Clone that he threw above the sand arms. The clone twisted midair and began making several hand signs. Gaara's black-lined eyes widened and he began to make several hand signs of his own but - too late! - blue chakra began to surround the clone's palm, creating a mini-whirlwind, as he drove his right hand out toward Gaara.

"_Uzumaki __Kaze_!"

_That_ was some ninjutsu Lee had never seen before! Blue-tinged chakra was concentrated in a spiral that managed to cut through the sand and smashed against Gaara with titanic force. The redhead went flying out of his sand barrier before falling onto the sand that followed him and made a cushioning pile for him to land upon.

"_YATA_! I did it!" Naruto cheered as his clones "poofed" out of existence, "I'm the best!"

His victory rant was interrupted by an arm of sand that flung itself over him and buried him in sand to his chin.

"Hey, what's the deal? I won!" Naruto shouted indignantly as Gaara picked himself up and drew sand back into his pouch.

"Battles aren't won by overconfidence, _baka_," was the cold reply, "Only until your opponent is dead or…incapacitated is your victory assured."

Naruto just scowled and grumbled something about sore losers. The sand around him crumbled as Naruto shook it off and emerged from the sand pile looking more annoyed than injured, though Lee could tell that the sand could have easily crushed him to a pulp.

"That was amazing!" Lee exclaimed as he walked out onto the shore. Gaara immediately tensed at the sight of him and Naruto looked a little perturbed to see him.

"Hey it's the fuzzy eyebrows!"

Lee faltered a bit at the insulting nickname, but quickly brushed it off. People had made fun of his looks for years, why shouldn't these two strangers do the same?

"You two look very skilled. Would you mind sparring a bit with me?" Lee offered eagerly. He was quite excited at the thought of matching his taijutsu against their ninjutsu, particularly Gaara's.

"Against you?" Lee tensed at the scorn in Gaara's voice as the small, pale boy stared at him with those black-lined eyes in open hostility.

"Sure thing. It shouldn't take so long!" Naruto cheered as he raced for the green-suited genin. Lee smiled; Gai-sensei had often said that one advantage to looking unimpressive to the average opponent was that they often underestimated you.

He easily dodged the younger boy's blow and sent several of his own with lightning speed so that the blond boy was sprawled on the ground staring dazed at the sky. Lee felt the approach of the sand and quickly leapt out of the way as a vengeful Gaara sent wave upon wave of sand at him. Lee pulled out a kunai and began slashing at the sand, but it wasn't worth the effort: the sand easily reformed and continued its assault. Unlike Naruto, he didn't have the luxury of fancy jutsu. He'd have to use his speed and outrace the sand. His heart soared at the challenge.

* * *

"Are you sure it wasn't an accident or some murderer?" Gai asked sternly. 

"Y-yes," stammered the young boy, "I was standing right by the lake with my friends…I was supposed to be watching my little sister but she can't keep up with us so…so I left her to play by the lake. Th-then, I turn to look at her, and she was there in the sand, making little shapes like always; she- she never goes into the water, she's scared of it! I look away for a while and then…she's gone! I went to look, I swear I looked all around and my friends even went to see if she was in - and it was so shallow - but she w-wasn't in the lake either and no one was near! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I sh-should've watched over her and now she's gone! I'm sorry!"

The boy broke off into heart-wrenching sobs. Gai couldn't help but feel sorry for him: he had been careless in not looking out for his sister, but he was clearly paying for it now. Ruri-hime wrapped the boy in a gentle hug and began hushing him softly. His parents stood by the door, looking grief-stricken and very out of place.

"This is the fourth disappearance, not counting all the cattle that have gone missing, and all of them have taken place by the lake," The grave village leader stated as the forlorn family left, "Something must be done. We have four shinobi at our disposal…"

"Hori-san," Ruri-hime reprimanded, "These shinobi have already done their job in escorting me home! This was not part of the bargain and, while we certainly can pay for their further services, they are not 'at our disposal.' They have the right to refuse this, if they wish. Gai-san?"

"Ruri-hime." Gai replied, bowing respectfully to her, "It would be shameful of me and my team to leave your sweet village in this state. We will do all that is in our power to help."

"Thank you!" Hori cried, bowing low before him, "Thank you so much!"

"But are you sure this is a _youkai_ behind these disappearances?" Gai asked.

"My father often spoke of the turtle _youkai_ that ruled over this lake." Hori replied, folding his hands in a pensive pose, "For centuries, it ravaged this shore and carried off anything it wished: cows, horses, and people alike. Finally, about a decade ago, a shinobi came and managed to seal this lake, making sure that the turtle youkai would never bother this village again."

"This shinobi," Gai began, "What kind of payment did he ask for in return?"

"Nothing." was the frank reply, "He was a strange fellow, too. Dressed in fancy robes with an odd, pointed hat."

Gai frowned. The outfit sounded a little like what a Kage would wear, but that of course was ridiculous! Why would a Kage deal with something like this and alone as well? He wasn't entirely sure about story about the turtle youkai, but he and Team Gai would definitely have to stake out the lake!

"Gai-sensei! Gai-sensei!" Ten-Ten burst into the room, "Come quick, it's Lee!"

"What is it?" Gai asked sharply.

"He's gotten into a fight with those two boys and I think he's totally over his head in this one!" Ten Ten explained.

Gai mentally sighed as he ran out. Lee was often so hot-headed, especially when seeking out difficult opponents and trying to beat them. Then again, it was his spirited nature to never back down and never give up. Gai only hoped that Lee would have the sense to not try **that** move.

* * *

Neji stood with his eyes closed in a small clearing. He kept his breathing steady and light as he began to concentrate. 

"_Byakugan_!" His eyes shot open as veins popped out around his eyes. He saw out into the woods surrounding him, through tree trunks and branches, and saw the heat signatures of rodents, minor lizards, and…birds. Birds had always attracted Neji for some reason. Perhaps it was envy. After all, they were free while he remained in the cage formed by the Head Family and sealed by the mark on his forehead.

Then, chakra signatures so bright that they practically drowned out every other signature around them flashed out from the corner of his eyes. He frowned. Those signatures were far too large to be human, and yet...

_It's coming from the lake_. He realized, and began to sprint towards the small beach near Ruri-hime's estate. There had been rumors of trouble around the lake, rumors of a strange monster that devoured any who trespassed into its lake. Perhaps this was…but then why were there more than one?

------

_Kitsune: _fox

_Tanuki_: raccoon or panda

_Uzumaki __K__aze_: Whirlpool wind (or just his signature!)

_Yata_: Yes!

_Baka_: idiot

_Youki_: demon

_**Hi! So sorry for the delay! Holidays, while fun, really turn me into a lazy slob! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, particularly **__**JediClaire**__**. I feel loved! Ahem. **_

_**Recently I read a **__**fic**__** much better than mine called "The Nine Broken Mirrors" which also is about the Jinchuuriki getting together and forming a clan and got really discouraged. I really want to write a great **__**fic**__** that characterizes the Jinchuuriki, but my **__**fic**__** is mediocre at best! **__**Waaah**__**! Ok, I'll stop whining and keep writing until I write well! **__**Please, guys, keep reviewing so I know what to work on so I make this **__**fic**__** better!**_


	10. Chapter 6

"_**Konohagakure is one of the most powerful of the Hidden Villages. During the Great Ninja Wars, they destroyed over half of Iwa's forces and decimated its lands. At least, that was Iwa's view. No doubt Konoha has its own version. I fought in that war as a child and all I can remember is fear and blood. Ironically, it was only when I fought Konoha shinobi that I gained insight into their culture. Unlike most other nations, they value their comrades over their own lives and would fight to the bitter end to keep each other safe. That was their strength as well as their weakness, which probably explains Konoha's victory over surrounding nations. And now I wonder, can such strength be ours after we have been taught to rely solely on ourselves for so long?" – Tsuchi Rei**_

"Hmmm, this is interesting." Musan muttered as he studied the scroll. Chuunin exams were to be held in Konoha this year, and one of the envoys was hinted to be the Kazekage himself. Wasn't that Gaara's old man?

Musan grinned at the thought. Gaara was the most interesting of the Jinchuuriki with an unstable mind and insomnia that would put a schizophrenic crack addict to shame. Maybe a little filial vengeance was just what the doctor ordered…

"Chi-kun?"

Musan spun around to face a fairly young brunette with red triangular tattoos on her each of her cheeks and the pervasive scent of dog around her.

"I brought in the inoculation reports like you asked." she said smiling.

"Uh…well, thank you." Musan murmured gruffly, hoping that his voice was alright for this body. Damnit, he thought people tended to avoid areas of bureaucracy!

"Well, you'll find everything in order." The girl continued to smile.

"Yes." _Go away!_ Musan added silently.

She turned as if to leave, and then spun around into a roundhouse kick which Musan barely managed to block. She traded blow after blow with him, which Musan always managed to evade or block to her apparent frustration.

"So I take it Chi-kun does something differently with the paperwork?" Musan asked casually as he danced away from the girl.

"That and he doesn't leave the office in a mess." She snarled furiously as she swung at him with a fist.

"Ah."

_I like this chick,_ Musan thought gleefully as he dodged her fist and darted past her reach to place his face directly in front of hers.

"You single?" he asked eagerly, "How's about a date?"

She snarled at his tone and lashed out with her kunai, which he ducked and easily knocked out of her grasp.

"You like dogs, right? Love them myself." He continued, "Well, I really don't have much choice in the matter. But really, we could even skip the date and get to the good bits."

"In your dreams!" she snapped, aiming another blow at him.

"Yeah, that's what she said." Musan sighed in disappointment. Being stuck with a bunch of kids, two old people, and a crazy guy his age had really been the bottom of the proverbial barrel; it had been years since he'd gotten laid! Unless you counted all those times he'd felt up the _neko_ after she started hitting puberty, but at that point he'd been desperate!

He quickly made the hand signs and a gentle breeze brushed past her face. The girl frowned then panicked as she recognized the signs but quickly succumbed to the genjutsu. She sagged limply to the floor.

He studied her unconscious body and began to sweat. Rei told him to get the information they needed and find him so they could leave. No killing, no maiming…but he'd said nothing about a quick fix. No one would ever need know…

His hands seemed to stray of their own accord down to her belt. Musan stopped.

"Damn it! I really have gone soft." He muttered as he dragged the limp kunoichi to a corner and set about copying the scroll which contained the details about the chuunin exam.

--

Rei sprinted through the forest glade, leaping from tree to tree as he went. His arm still ached, but he couldn't stop smirking. Taking care of that pompous Jounin had been ridiculously easy.

_"Ebisu-sensei!"_

_The jounin turned and paled at the sight of the young boy who glared at him as he strode boldly into the clearing._

_"H-honorable grandson! Get out of here!"_

_"What?" _

_The boy gasped as he felt edge of a kunai touch the base of his throat. _

_"You should really pay attention when your sensei tells you something. Usually they have your best interests in mind."_

After that, it was child's play to predict the Jounin's next move. Predictably, he tried the replacement jutsu to retrieve his charge, letting Rei know exactly where he would be. A blow from an Earth jutsu later and both the Jounin and the boy were knocked out and concealed by the Earth trap. Rei considered getting rid of them permanently but decided that incurring the wrath of one of the most powerful Hidden Villages was probably not the best idea under the circumstances.

Then again, there was still the other one, the one who kept his face concealed and whose mild countenance belied the immense power radiating from the tall, thin man. That one would be harder to deal with one-on-one. Who knew what incredible force that man possessed?

--

"Soft-core porn, sensei?"

Kakashi's single visible eye crinkled in amusement as he beamed benignly at his unenthusiastic team.

"Now, now. I'll have you know it's very tasteful with suspenseful plot twists and excellent characterization!"

"Sure." The pink-haired girl had an attitude after all! Obviously the good girl image she presented was only skin-deep. Well, that was a relief. Kakashi didn't know what he would have done if that girl had been as shallow and passive as she seemed to be.

"Sensei, are we going to do anything but watch you read your porn?" The boy Narashi Shinji looked quite average compared to Uchiha Sasuke the child prodigy and Haruno Sakura who was top of the class as far as deskwork was concerned, but he had a stubbornness about him that reminded Kakashi all too well of another idealistic stubborn shinobi he'd once known. Time would tell, but if the boy had a good head and worked hard, Kakashi saw that he would make a decent shinobi one day.

"Indeed, we shouldn't waste our time sitting around. We have training to do." Sasuke would be his most difficult student yet, it seemed. The gravely serious boy could easily have been himself over a decade ago. It pained him to admit it, but the boy would need serious work before he was mentally ready to shoulder the responsibility of a true shinobi. He shied away from forming friendships of any kind and concentrate solely on vengeance for his lost clan. Such a wounded soul would only shatter and break under adversity without bonds to support him. Kakashi of all people understood that.

"Alright." Kakashi laughed, hiding his unease under a mask of cheer, "Training begins now."

"Yes!" Shinji pumped his fist in the air eagerly.

"What do you want us to do, sensei?" Sakura asked.

"Meditate."

"Huh? Sensei, we've already learned how to meditate in the academy!" Sakura protested.

"Really? Show me. For this exercise, not only do you have to empty your mind, I also want you to mold your chakra such that I cannot sense it."

Sasuke who'd looked furious at the seemingly-useless exercise now frowned thoughtfully as he considered the implications.

"If we learn to hide our chakra, we can be less noticeable by hostile shinobi."

"Precisely." Kakashi pulled out his beloved Icha Icha Paradise book and leaned against a tree, "You guys can start now."

To be honest, he was a bit worried about abandoning Ebisu to the strange shinobi they'd been after. It was true that the serious Jounin was quite capable of holding his own, especially since these guys seemed to be total rookies and weren't in any of the Bingo Books as missing-nin. Still, something about those two unsettled him. Oh well, after they'd been captured, he'd peek in on the interrogation and make sure they were who they seemed to be.

For now, his concern lay with the handsome warrior Komaru's pursuit of the beautiful yet feisty Lady Chihiro.

--

_**Hi, all. It's been a while. Sorry for the delay. Writer's block and pure laziness, I'm afraid. So here's Naruto's "replacement" on Team 7: Narashi Shinji. I based his appearance on the boy that accidentally knocked Naruto and Sasuke together for that infamous accidental kiss in Episode 3.**_

_**Dark Ravie: Thanks, hope you like the next part.**_

_**peppymint: Yeah, I like Lee, too. He's a great character who's fun to write. And yeah, it's not his nor most anyone else's fault that the Jinchuuriki were used so callously, but that doesn't change the fact that a great wrong was done to them and it will be a while before they trust humans again. Don't worry, Naruto's the forgiving type and Gaara will warm up to other people through Naruto's influence! **_

_**Lunas twin: Thank you so much! That really makes me feel better about my writing. I'll just work harder at making it better. Yes, most shinobi were not aware that the Kages locked away the Jinchuuriki. There was the risk that some missing-nin would free the Jinchuuriki and use them once again as weapons. In their view, it was like burying nuclear weapons or something like that. Each of them told their Hidden Village some lie about what had been done with their Jinchuuriki and it was generally accepted that they were gone for good.**_

_**Tensai-chan: Thank you very much. I'll keep writing!**_

_**azaneti: Thank you, hope you enjoy the chapter!**_

_**Evee-chan: Oh they'll meet the Sanbi alright! Ku-ku-ku!**_

_**Acara Whitefox: Thanks very much. Good luck with your own writing! We need more Jinchuuriki fics!**_

_**storynerd: Thanks, I try my best (particularly at humor!).**_


	11. Chapter 7

"_**Of all the things our villages did to us, nothing was crueler than placing Bijuu within females. I don't mean that in a sexist manner at all: kunoichi are and always have been a part of the shinobi world. However, all shinobi are given the option of bearing children save for Jinchuuriki. As a child, I was taught that my physical condition made me unable to bear children. If I ever attempted to attain physical pleasure, the Bijuu would take advantage of my distracted mental state and I would fail in my duty to contain It. Musan assures me that this is utter nonsense and he's done enough of that kind of thing to prove it. But I think there is some truth to what they told me: Jinchuuriki may be rendered infertile physically due to the Bijuu. There has never been a recorded case of Jinchuuriki being able to bear or produce children. Then again, there have never been recorded cases of Jinchuuriki finding partners or falling in love. I wonder, would Jinchuuriki would ever be able to produce children with other Jinchuuriki? More importantly, are Jinchuuriki capable of love?"- Tsuchi, Rei**_

The moon shone full and round above the dusty plains. It was silent, not even a mouse dared scurry unawares in this country. Setsu's harsh breathing cut through the night air as she swung her sword in her usual routine, not even pausing from kata to kata. Tohru watched her from beneath lowered lids.

"You're still at it, Mistress Sword? Training yourself to exhaustion won't help us in this situation!"

"Was caught off-guard...by that Sound-shinobi," her words were quick and breathless as she didn't dare miss a step in her workout, "Won't happen...again. I'll...make sure!"

"A punk gets the better of you in one fight and you're convinced that you have to train to avoid it?"

"No, have to train...to beat him, next time we meet!"

"Baka! This isn't the jounin exams! Why are you taking it so personally?"

Setsu finally came to a halt in _chudan kamae_, panting for breath as sweat dripped down the sides of her head and past her chin. She looked out into the desolate hills before beginning quietly,

"When I first learned to fight with a sword, I was overconfident and stupid. I challenged my sensei within a week of training, convinced that because I was a Jinchuuriki, I was better at everything. It took him all of ten seconds to disarm me and put his sword to my throat. Then he told me,

"'Nothing can replace experience. Not strength, not chakra, not even natural talent. You think because you've mastered the basics, you are the best. Let me tell you, experience is the only strength that a shinobi can depend upon. So, pick up your sword and practice your katas. When you're ready, come back and face me again.'"

Setsu almost smiled as she remembered. Tohru studied her face curiously. Setsu had never talked about any of her former teachers to anyone. Nor had he for that matter.

"Did you ever face him?" Tohru finally asked.

"No, I always started to, but then I'd remember what he said and I kept practicing. Even after I became a chuunin, I couldn't face him."

"So what happened?"

"I had a mission with him to escort a pair of rare katanas to our daimyou. He died on the journey, killed by some stupid rogue ninja. I managed to kill them, but…I couldn't save him."

Now Tohru's eyes were wide open as he stared at Setsu who now wore a bittersweet smile on her face. Although her voice was emotionless and her body as steady as a rock, Tohru sensed a strange vulnerability about her that he'd never felt before. He felt very uncomfortable. Was she expecting him to comfort her? Reassure her that she was strong and…? No, he was neither her sensei, nor her friend. They were comrades, nothing more.

"Well, take his words to heart now, if you want." he muttered gruffly and turned away.

As he heard her sword slice through the air once more, he muttered under his breath,

"You'll always seem strong to me."

* * *

Yugito surveyed the rundown bar through half-closed eyes, wary and subdued as a housecat. She hated this place and hated the people around them all the more. They were scum, punks who wore yakuza-style hair and puffed themselves up with their makeshift weapons and cheap armor. These were no shinobi, more a bunch of frogs parading as snakes. Their talk was loose and crude, their eyes leered on anything resembling money or girls. Scum of the earth: thugs hired by Gato as his private "army." Her comrades.

Kudo just took it all in stride and set about making himself at home, challenging various shinobi to card games and arm-wrestling matches. He gambled carelessly, but always managed to get out more than he put in. She'd scolded him once for acting so shamelessly and he brushed her off with a careless, "Shinobi adapt to whatever environment they're in, right?" Idiot.

Not for the first time, Yugito thought longingly of Rei-sensei. If only she'd been partnered with him! He was so sweet, so kind to her. Best of all, he believed in her the way no one else had. She wanted to prove that she wasn't the stupid weak child he'd first known when they'd first met in the underground prison. She wanted…

"Hey sweetie, why so glum?" A deep voice broke into her longing thoughts.

Yugito's eyes narrowed as a strange shinobi plunked himself down next to her. After beating up a few thugs that hit on her, most took the hint and stayed away. This guy was either new or too stupid and intoxicated to know any better.

"Get lost." She spat.

"Whoa now, someone's in a bad mood." The shinobi laughed, clearly oblivious to her dangerous aura, "Why don't I buy you drink, huh?"

"Are you deaf? I told you to leave me alone!"

"Aw c'mon baby…" The shinobi flung an arm over her shoulders, "You need to loosen up, and I know just how to-"

The table a few seats away suddenly broke under the weight of the shinobi who'd been sent flying over her shoulder. The tense card game that had been previous playing was broken up as cards went flying and the men playing were sent sprawling to the floor. Some jumped instantly to their feet, snarling with rage. It didn't take long for the first punch to be thrown. Soon the brawl began and the whole bar dissolved into chaos. Kudo shook himself off amidst the shouting and the sound of furniture breaking and was suddenly jerked to his feet by a coldly furious Yugito.

"We're leaving, Seito." She snarled, thankfully remembering his fake name.

"Wait, what…?"

"I've had enough. We're going to the Land of Waves ahead of schedule. I've had about all I can take from this stupid place."

"But…"

"Now!"

Kudo could barely protest as the irate female Jinchuuriki dragged him out of the dilapidated bar, leaving it to the barroom brawl she'd begun.

_Disgusting filth of shinobi_, she thought, gratefully letting the cold air brush her burning cheeks, _and Kami help me, I'm one of them!_

* * *

_**Chudan kamae**_**: "neutral position" used in traditional Japanese swordplay to either rest briefly during a workout or pause during a spar**

_**Yakuza**_**: notorious Japanese mafia**

_**Two chapters in the same week? I guess I'm just hoarding up for the summer. A very special thanks to Aaron Mc-- for Japanese sword terminology! **_


	12. Chapter 8

_***crawls out of the grave* MWAHAHAHAHA! I liiiive! **_

_**Okay in all seriousness, I will finish this fic, but I don't know if I'm going to be staying the Naruto fandom anymore. The story's gotten kind of blah and too many great characters are being killed for my taste. I did appreciate the reveal of all 9 Jinchuuriki, though, even if most of them are unnamed. Hey that's our job, right? ;) Killerbee is also great and I hope that he at least gets more about him written in fanfiction since it looks like he's not going to show up in the manga (or the anime for that matter!) anytime soon.**_

_**Sorry about the boring rant. Anyways, on with the fic:**_

_**Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, Studio Perriot and Aniplex, and Viz Manga. I am making no money or royalties off of this. Please do not sue me or my family/friends. Thanks.**_

_**

* * *

  
**_

"_**There was a common joke within the Iwa forces during the Ninja Wars: **_**How do you fight someone with the Sharingan**_**? The reply was invariable: **_**You don't!**_**"**_ – From the diary of Tsuchi, Rei.

Shinji's eyes were squeezed tightly shut as he clenched his teeth in concentration. Damnit, he'd be practicing chakra-molding for months and still that Uchiha kid's signature was decreasing faster than his. It just wasn't fair! That arrogant guy had always excelled at whatever they did without any visible effort. Sakura had left them in the dust almost half an hour ago, though. He couldn't even sense her anymore. You'd never have thought that this was the Uchiha cheerleader that fainted at the sight of her beloved Sasuke-kun's "death." Shinji couldn't help smiling faintly at the memory of the day they became Team 7.

_Sakura was forlornly still, tied to the log as the boys sat despondently on either side of her. Their sensei just glared at them sternly from behind his mask as he lectured them._

"_Sasuke you did the best out of your team, but rejected their help with no thought for their safety."_

_The Uchiha heir just glared sullenly at his teacher._

"_Sakura, you might have sought to help Shinji, but instead remained hidden in an effort to back up Sasuke."_

_Sakura hung her head miserably._

_Finally, Kakashi turned to the last member of his would-be team._

_"And Shinji, you abandoned Sakura and tried to take me on using only Sasuke as your teammate!"_

_"Well, sensei, can you blame me? This girl is beyond useless! All she cares about is impressing Uchiha: that's probably the only reason she decided to become a ninja!"_

_"That's not true!" Sakura protested._

_"Yeah? Prove it." Shinji replied contemptuously. Sakura bit her lip and looked away._

_"Mah, what a hopeless group." Kakashi commented dryly, "None of you going back to the academy."_

_"What? Really?" Sakura squealed._

_"Yes, all of you should just quit trying to become ninja altogether." Kakashi snapped._

_Shinji's jaw dropped as Sakura gasped in horror. Sasuke leapt to his feet with a hard gleam in his eyes and charged furiously at Kakashi. Within two seconds, the Uchiha prodigy was flat on the ground, his sensei restraining him with ease. Kakashi continued speaking casually,_

_"All of you missed the whole point of this exercise. Well, Shinji did have the right idea, but was poor in executing it."_

_"I was?" Shinji asked mystified. _

_"You said it yourself, 'One genin can't possibly take on a jounin, but several genin stand a chance.' Your problem lay in that you didn't consider Sakura a comrade and abandoned her."_

_"Can I help it that she's weak and doesn't deserve to be on this team?" Shinji snarled._

_"So, you think she's a liability, do you?" Kakashi asked, his single eye gleaming, "Well then -" Kakashi tossed him a kunai, "-go on, get rid of her."_

_"Sensei?" Sakura whispered in disbelief. Shinji weighed the kunai in his hand, staring at it. From his restrained position, Sasuke watched helplessly._

_"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Shinji growled._

_"On a mission, suppose Sakura gets injured or falls behind due to her 'weakness'. Would you have the guts to end it then?"_

_Shinji tightened his grip around the kunai and threw it. The kunai bit into the trunk of a nearby tree, still vibrating from the impact. Kakashi studied the angry genin with amusement._

_"Mah, looks like you can't. Oh well," he said, turning away, "I'll give you three one more chance. Sasuke and Shinji, finish your lunches. Since Sakura performed the worst out of you three, she will have to stay tied to the log while you two eat. If either of you two gives her anything, you'll automatically fail."_

_Sakura bit back a sob as Kakashi vanished. It was so unfair! Shinji and Sasuke exchanged wary glances before unpacking the _bentos_ and beginning to eat. Sakura's stomach let out a hungry growl at the wonderful smells emanating from the boxed lunches. Both boys turned to stare at her. She held back her tears and glared at them,_

_"Don't you dare worry about me! I'm on a diet anyway! I can handle going without food."_

_Shinji scowled at this as he shoved a roll into his mouth. He swallowed, then scooped up some rice and held it in front of her mouth. Sakura pursed her lips and closed her eyes, but the smell still wafted across her nose._

_Shinji sighed. The girl was surprisingly stubborn. This was a far cry from that weak girl who'd fainted at the sight of her beloved Sasuke-kun being injured. As much as he appreciated seeing this side of her, a teammate who was weak from hunger would be no help if they wanted to be able to take on a jounin._

_"Did you know that girls who go on diets become infertile later on?" he asked slyly, "Sasuke's probably not going to be interested in marrying a girl that can't give him babies!"_

_Sasuke flushed and glared at Shinji who beamed benignly at him from behind Sakura. Sakura blanched at the thought of not being able to carry children and quickly began to devour the rice offered by Shinji._

_All at once, the sky became dark and overcast as a whirlwind of fury with Kakashi at the center of it bore towards them._

_"You! Didn't I specifically warn you not to feed her? Why did you disobey me?" The masked jounin thundered. _

_Shinji went silent in fear as Sakura felt the small amount of rice she'd eaten churn in her stomach at the sight of the furious jounin before them. Sasuke glared at him, covering any fear he might feel. He'd come this far, and he refused to let this weird jounin intimidate him._

_"We're a team!" Sasuke shouted above the wind, "We take care of each other."_

_"Y-yes." Shinji agreed after a moment's pause, "Sakura's our teammate. Her weaknesses are ours."_

_"You guys…" Sakura felt grateful tears seep from her eyes._

_"You guys really mean that." The jounin's visible eye had a strange gleam in it, "Alright then…"_

_"You pass." Kakashi beamed._

_Shinji blinked._

_"Wait. What?"_

_Kakashi smiled reassuringly. _

_"The whole point of this exercise was to test you on the most important quality a shinobi can have: the willingness to sacrifice everything for their comrades. Shinobi who disobey the rules may be trash, but shinobi that abandon their teammates are worse than trash. Congratulations, all of you. You're officially genin."_

And so they'd accidentally passed Kakashi-sensei's hidden test. As much as that unconventional jounin weirded him out, Shinji couldn't help admiring the guy. His aunt confided in him that Kakashi was once her senpai in the elite ANBU Black Ops team. The very group Shinji hoped to join one day. The thought of his dream gave him another burst of determination and he almost entirely concealed his chak-

Shinji gasped and opened his eyes. Both Sakura and Sasuke stared at him in mild surprise as he jumped to his feet.

"Hmm?" Kakashi looked blankly at his spooked student over the open Icha Icha book, "What's wrong?"

"I-I felt something. It's weird but I could almost sense a fifth person near us!" Shinji babbled, staring behind him.

"You're crazy." Sakura snapped, glaring at him in disdain, "If Sasuke-kun or Kakashi-sensei couldn't sense anything, how on earth could you?"

"I know what I felt!" Shinji glared back at her, "It didn't feel human is all. Maybe that's why no one noticed. It's just too big to be an animal."

Kakashi stared at his student thoughtfully, and then with a sigh shut his book.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, I'll check it out."

With that, he pulled up his lopsided headband, revealing a strange red eye with black markings circling the pupil. Sasuke's eyes darkened as he saw the painfully familiar sight of his heritage.

"_Sharingan_!"

---

Rei almost fell out of the tree at the sight as the silver-haired man calmly lifted his headband, revealing a blood-red eye with three swirling _tomoes_. He had the _Sharingan_?!

And here he'd almost hoped that he'd be able to observe his enemy without a fight! He'd almost been insulted that the shinobi would return to his team so casually after that other one went after him. Still, it would have been easier to avoid a fight and just lay low while Musan finished up their spy work. Oh well.

Konoha shinobi were notoriously protective of their subordinates, particularly their students. Let's test this one's resolve...

---

Sakura might have been nervous if Sasuke-kun and Kakashi-sensei hadn't been there. Now that she focused her own chakra, she grudgingly had to admit that something was…off. She couldn't figure out how a screw-up like Shinji would notice it before Sasuke-kun or even her. Of all of them, Shinji was the definitely the slowest. His grades were the second-lowest in their class, only slightly ahead of Shikamaru who was notorious for napping through tests. He was abysmal at any kind of test, written or otherwise. It was a miracle that he'd passed the final as it was.

"Hmm? That's strange…" Kakashi commented, his eyes narrowed. All at once, his eyes widened as several kunai buried themselves into his chest.

Sakura let out a horrified scream as their sensei slumped over lifelessly, blood pooling about his limp body. Sasuke leapt to his feet, kunai drawn as a dark figure appeared behind them

"Man that was easier than I thought. Konoha really has gone soft." An amused voice commented.

"Who are you?" Shinji gasped.

The strange green-haired man didn't answer and just smirked. With a speed Sakura didn't know was possible, he dodged Sasuke's kunai and easily threw Shinji into the trunk of a tree with an offhand blow. Her classmate groaned with pain and lay flat. Sakura clutched her kunai and faced him warily.

_Don't freeze, a ninja is without fear._ She chanted to herself silently_, A ninja is without fear. _

He lunged toward her and she was just beginning to coil her legs to spring for the tree's cover when a dark figure leapt in front of her.

Sasuke. She was barely able to contain her shock before the stranger was knocked off-balanced by Kakashi. How?

Kakashi smiled behind his mask as he held a kunai to the throat of the mysterious nin.

"You should really be more cautious. A ninja looks for what is beneath the beneath."

The captured nin smirked.

"Practice what you preach, Konoha-ninja."

The stranger's body crumbled to dust. Kakashi's eyes widened.

"An Earth Bunshin!"

Sakura heard a cry behind her and twisted to stare in horror. Shinji was caught in an Earth jutsu that twisted around his neck and brought him punishingly to the ground. She was about to race for her teammate's side when Sasuke harshly grasped her arm.

"Don't. He's compromised. Interference will only make it worse."

"But…"

"What do you want?" Kakashi asked calmly, staring toward the trees where their enemy was evidently hiding.

"If you're as experienced as you look, no doubt you fought in the Ninja wars. You know what this jutsu can do and how quickly it kills. Call for aid and the boy dies." Their enemy's voice floated from the trees and Sakura couldn't pinpoint where exactly it came from.

"Shinji!" Sakura called helplessly.

Her teammate's eyes flickered at her call and he managed to choke out.

"D-don't care about me. Should've moved…own fault. Kill…me, don't let him…"

He choked as the rock around his throat tightened.

"You've got a brave one there, but not very bright." The voice commented with amusement, "If he meant nothing to you, you wouldn't have waited for demands. You care about your team, don't you? So don't let them die. Cover your Sharingan."

Sakura felt helpless tears well up, despite emotional training from the Academy. Shinji may have been a stubborn annoying idiot, but damnit, she didn't want him die! Not like this, not in front of her while she couldn't do anything!

"Sakura." She lifted her head to see Kakashi sensei smiling down at her from behind his mask, "It'll be alright. I swear I won't let Shinji or anyone else on our team die."

"Sensei." Sakura whispered gratefully.

Sasuke smiled and readied his kunai.

"Go." Both Kakashi and Sasuke split and leapt for the trees. Sasuke burst through the canopy below the mysterious nin as Kakashi's shadow clone caught him from the side. The stranger was barely able to avoid their combined attack, only to fall into Kakashi's ambush. Kakashi sent a blow to the stranger's face that sent him careening through the fragile branches at the end of the tree and tumbling harshly to the forest floor. The Earth jutsu around Shinji's neck crumbled and he gasped for breath, lying weakly on his back.

"Shinji." Sakura hurried to his side and checked his vital signs. She heard the crashes and the screams from within the grove and smiled viciously. Whoever that strange nin was, he would pay for hurting their teammate!

* * *

Right then, a little more back story on my OC and some action! Thanks to:

Book Mad TJ

Bassclone13

JediClaire

VampyreVixen16

DarkRavie

Power of Insanity

for reviewing!

Preview for next Chapter:

"_What is that thing?_"_ Ten Ten shouted over the roar of the wind and waves._

_Neji couldn't reply, his pale eyes wide with shock. He doubted whether she'd believe him. _

"_Whoa, it's a huge turtle!" Naruto shouted, grinning with glee, "Hey Gaara, ever wanted to try turtle soup?"_

"_This is really not the time to be thinking of food." Gaara replied dryly, sand swirling about his feet._

_The huge beast roared, raising its battered and misshapen head from the depths of the churning waters. _


End file.
